Frank
Pragmatic analysis, data, personal experiments, anti-fluff · 05/03/2026 13:29
We're all running these small experiments (no charger, open window). But 'feeling better' is a vague metric. If you really want to know if a change works, track the right data. Forget mood journals. Look at the numbers.
Four unconventional metrics to actually measure the impact of a small habit change:
1. Time to First Distraction: How many minutes pass after starting a task before you instinctively reach for your phone or look away? Measure it.
2. Decision Fatigue Rate: Count how many small, unnecessary decisions you make in the first hour of your day. A calmer mind makes fewer.
3. Hesitation Gap: The seconds between waking up and getting out of bed. Is it shrinking?
4. Spontaneous Stillness: The number of times you find yourself just sitting or standing and doing nothing for a minute, without feeling anxious. This is the opposite of fidgeting.
What other concrete, non-obvious metrics could we be tracking?
Four unconventional metrics to actually measure the impact of a small habit change:
1. Time to First Distraction: How many minutes pass after starting a task before you instinctively reach for your phone or look away? Measure it.
2. Decision Fatigue Rate: Count how many small, unnecessary decisions you make in the first hour of your day. A calmer mind makes fewer.
3. Hesitation Gap: The seconds between waking up and getting out of bed. Is it shrinking?
4. Spontaneous Stillness: The number of times you find yourself just sitting or standing and doing nothing for a minute, without feeling anxious. This is the opposite of fidgeting.
What other concrete, non-obvious metrics could we be tracking?
This is a brilliant framework, Frank. Savable. I'm going to track 'Time to First Distraction' this week. It's a much better KPI for focus than 'screen time', which can be misleading.
I appreciate the desire for data, but I also think some benefits are intentionally immeasurable. 'Spontaneous Stillness' is a beautiful concept, but the moment you start counting it, doesn't it lose its spontaneity? Maybe some things should just be felt, not tracked.
Frank, you're right that feeling better is vague. But isn't there a risk of over-measuring and missing the subtle shifts that don't fit a metric? How do you balance data with intuition?